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Monday, 13 January 2014

BBFC are again going to scrutinise the impact of horror movies.

A friend just made me aware of an article on BBC News, which you can read by clicking HERE. In it, the BBFC say they will pay more attention to the impact of gore and strong visuals in its deliberations. There is no explanation given as to what this will entail, but it certainly has me worried.

Yet again, the british public are being told what they can and can't watch, as we were in the early 80's (and have been since the video Nasty furore). I cannot comprehend what makes these people so special that they can say what is good for the general population. Yet again, instead of laying it's guidelines for all the general public to see, all they say is they will pay more attention to the impact of gore and strong visuals. That could include many sub genres of cinema, and not only the horror genre, but again horror seems to be at the forefront of the BBFC's agenda again, with little to no explanation given.

The fact that the BBFC have surveyed the public in regard to the '15' certificate should have meant a step forward, but it seems horror is still the bane of the BBFC, and it doesn't seem like that is about to change anytime soon. How this will affect future releases of horror movies remains to be seen, but I feel the witch hunt that was prevalent in the early eighties may very well happen again.

What really bothers me is, with the internet, anyone can see anything they wish. While I do not agree with porn or snuff, that is only my opinion, and other people should be allowed to make their own choices to a certain degree, being that the choices they make are within the law. If a movie is censored in the UK, it's as simple as buying an import that isn't cut, therefore losing the UK precious revenue.

The argument that horror makes people violent (and let's not forget, it also affects some dogs) is a pathetic argument. I agree that I am not the general public, but, after all my years of watching horror movies, I have never felt like killing anyone, harming anyone or unleashing a demon to hunt down my enemies. Those thoughts have never once crossed my mind. I may have a taste for extreme cinema and the horrific, but that doesn't make me who I am. Entertainment does not affect my personality in any way at all. If it did, why aren't doctors prescribing comedy films for people who suffer from depression?

Horror, like the government, seems to provoke a strong reaction in people. As an art form, isn't that what it is supposed to do? I am sure you wouldn't get the casual horror fan looking into renting the latest underground horror film that features dismemberment and torture, but that doesn't seem to matter to the BBFC. Any film that is classed as horror will be tarnished with the same brush. Not only are the BBFC stifling the British horror genre, but any film made outside of the UK will have to pass what these censors deem "good" enough for the public to watch.

I hope that a witch hunt against horror isn't forthcoming, and that the censors will see that they aren't needed any more, that we are more than capable of making up our own minds. If we don't like something, we don't watch it. It is about time Britain stopped molly coddling it's public, and finally give them the chance to make up their own minds.